Day Off (2001): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2001, Day Off is a comedy and drama film directed by Pascal Thomas, running about 127 minutes.

What it’s about. Wednesday is the day when children are not in school and stay at home. It is also the day when the parents are not there. In Nantes, in the spring, twenty or so carefree and boisterous kids between the ages of three and eleven take advantage of this day to make their parents go crazy. Emma, 9 years old and naturally romantic, decides that Roland, the little boy she met in the street, is unhappy and persuades her friends to adopt him. Victoria spends the day with Martin Socoa, an often distant father whom she learns to love. There are also Muriel, Bruno, Colette and Henri who take off and create panic in their parents' home, while Marylin lives the founding drama of her childhood with a mother of an unreal sweetness. Throughout these little stories, we realize that the world of children has its own logic, totally different from that of adults.

Who’s in it. Day Off stars Vincent Lindon as Martin Socoa, Christian Morin as Agenore Esposito, Alessandra Martines as Madame Socoa and Catherine Frot as Sophie, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.6/10, Day Off has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Day Off page.

If you liked it. Fans of Day Off tend to enjoy Forrest Gump, Parasite, Life Is Beautiful and Fight Club.